Australia’s golden Olympians make history

Asked to nominate the best moments of the Paris Olympics, Australians would struggle to choose a favourite. Those pre-dawn moments watching our Dolphins touch the wall in relays and individual finals would top many sports fans’ lists. So would gold medallist Mollie O’Callaghan inviting runner-up Ariane Titmus to share the top podium after their nailbiting 200m freestyle final. Or cheering our youngest-ever gold medallist, 14-year-old skateboarder Arisa Trew, whose success has earned her the pet duck she’d longed for from her parents. The kayaking, too, was unforgettable with the triumphs of sisters Jess and Noemie Fox, who summed up Australia’s Games experience: “It’s a fairytale ending. You don’t really dare to dream this big, but I really did this time. I dared to dream.”

So did the nation. And the dream was realised on Wednesday when pole vault champion Nina Kennedy hurtled down the Stade de France runway and soared into the air to win Team Australia’s 18th gold medal. By Thursday, three days ahead of Sunday’s closing ceremony (early Monday Australian time), our medal tally was third behind the US (with a 300 million higher population) and China (which has about 1.4 billion more people). And the green-and-gold team led the host nation and Britain.

Our athletes’ extraordinary talent, confidence and dedicated training, often over many years as other options were forgone, mattered. That is the reality of elite sport. Excellent coaching and good management helped ensure the athletes were at their peak when it mattered. In Rio, where Australian swimmers struggled to meet expectations, for example, some competitors were in better form four months ahead of the meet, with trials held too early. This time, holding the Dolphins’ trials in June gave many competitors their best shot. For younger members of Team Australia, and those aspiring to join it after the inspiration of Paris, big dreams about Los Angeles and Brisbane have begun.